TONIGHT: Yo! BTV Raps Vol. 8 @ Sidebar

Vol. VII already? That is some Lucasfilm-type longevity. YO! BTV Raps has been a reliably great gig every time, and tonight's lineup is especially strong. Jibba the Gent will be making a well-deserved headline appearance in support of his new album, Broccoli Tree.

It's a free show, it's a great venue, it'll be a beautiful night. Music starts at 10 pm - DJ Kanga will be hosting.

Humble - "Premonition"

Bless the Child emcee Humble dropped a solo album outta nowhere last month, and hot damn, it is a solid piece of work. Thanks to a cool half dozen local producers -- and the mastering expertise of Zach Crawford, aka SkySplitter -- it nails the feel and sound of 90's rap tapes.

The big surprises on this album? Old Gold's long arc of beat tape experiments has really paid off. A number of the most impressive, future primitive bangers on Premonition are his. Humble's writing game continues to improve, too: check out his bars on Matchbook and, most especially, his monumental concept cut "I am America."

Overall, this is a great damn release and a big win for the Bless the Child / Anthill orbit, a crew that grows stronger every year.

(Should you feel that you need to read about this release even more, check out Seven Days. Got you covered, bud.)

Cabin Fever Hip Hop Benefit for Salvation Farms

Collective Rhymes and Salvation Farms presents an annual Hip Hop benefit concert for Salvation Farms. It will take place on Thursday, April 2nd at Club Metronome at 188 Main St, Burlington, VT. Doors open at 8 PM and show starts at 9PM. It's a 21+ show and $5 at the door! It is a fundraiser, so we are accepting more than $5 for the cover charge! We have an amazing line up of local hip hop acts! Learic of the Aztexts, Wombaticus Rex, Self Portrait, Mic Plante, Bless The Child, Loupo, Notation, Owen Kinlund aka Rubix, DJCrunchee (Productions), cworner stwore, beat boxer extraordinaire Simmy B, Caveman, Rhythm Riderz Crew, Mycelium MC, and special guests! There will be an All-Star freestyle set that the DJ's, beatmakers, emcee's will improvise the soundtrack and dialogue to a silent movie! This is a hip hop show that can't be missed! See you there! Peace

Aug 30th: A-Dog Day Celebration

This weekend is going to be huge. Skate Jams on Church Street, two stages of music at Arts Riot, and very nearly too many acts to actually list.

A-Dog Day is a serious milestone for Vermont Hip Hop -- not this dinky little blog, but the actual scene itself: you and me and everyone we know. (Most of whom are on the bill at Arts Riot.)

This is a celebration of an inspiring human being who left this Earth more than a little bit too soon, and also an opportunity to take stock of the culture he helped grow here. If you're not familiar with A-Dog and his legacy, start here: an excellent Seven Days memorial gathered from his friends, co-conspirators and protégés.

Also: big ups to the homie Miro Weinberger for making this possible.

August 7th: Nappy Roots at Zen Lounge

This is going to be a hell of a show -- the local lineup is definitely some of the finest Vermont has to offer: Bless the Child, showcase winners Self Portrait, and four-time Daysie Award Winners, Lynguistic Civilians.

(Big ups to Vermonty Burns Productions and Zen Lounge for running a meritocracy ... bringing big acts through Vermont and giving them dope local support is a Very Good Thing for Vermont hip hop.)

Be there. $10 is a bargain and a half.

July 16th: Nappy Roots Pre-Show at Zen Lounge

Props to Zen Lounge and Vermonty Burns Productions for bringing Nappy Roots to Burlington -- and putting in work for the Vermont rap scene, too. What I am about to describe here is very cool, and a welcome break from the usual horseshit that promoters get up to when they bring a major act though town. On August 7th, Nappy Roots will be coming through Zen Lounge, and quite rightfully, Lynguistic Civilians and Bless the Child will be opening...but there's still room on the bill.

Rather than just selling slots and watering down the show with rich kids with no talent (aka "The Usual") Vermonty Burns Productions is holding a "Pre-Show" competition on Wednesday, July 16th. As VBP manager Scott LaValla explains, "When doors open at the club everyone will be asked who they are there to see, then during the showcase people can also vote for there favorite act which also enters them into a raffle for two tickets to the 8/7 Nappy Roots show. The artist/group in the showcase with the most combined votes gets the opening slot as well as a feature in Cider Magazine."

Better yet, the "Pre-Show" lineup is awesome. Currently on the bill: BTV's most promising new hip hop act, Self Portrait, Montpelier party rap explosion Boomslang, the hard-working freestyle phenom MC Mycelium, and Southern VT fixtures G da Louisville Slugga and Ms. Sheila White.

Good news: There are still two slots left. If you're interested, get in touch with vermontyburns@gmail.com. Like, ASAP.

Agent Slacker: Really Damn Good

I caught these cats last night opening up for People Under the Stairs, who put on one hell of a party at Arts Riot. The chemistry between Humble and Tommy Alexander is a proven winner, but the real revelation is these Loupo beats -- a diverse and ambitious canvas, his style has grown more intricate and more refined. It was a great Full Moon Masquerade soundtrack, and it was over too soon.

In related news, the Daysies finalists were posted yesterday: congrats to A2VT, Bless the Child, The Aztext, Lynguistic Civilians, and naturally, VT Union, who have been putting in constant work and bringing majors acts through the 802 in 2014.

March 20th: Brain Gang presents The Hip Hop Hullabaloo, Club Metronome

The Brain Gang crew is bringing a heck of a show to Burlington this week. Founded in Springfield, VT, the posse has been growing steadily ever since, so producing and promoting shows is a logical progression. (The "explanation" on Metronome's website indicates they might need to hire a copywriter at some point, though.) Brain Gang is bigger than the 802, boasting members in New Hampshire and North Carolina, but the bill this Thursday will feature familiar faces. According to the 7 Days listings, the lineup goes a little something like The Aztext, Bless the Child, FixHate, Crows, Mad Dog, DJ BP and host Emcee-T.

Best of all, this show is completely fucking free. See you at the bar.

March 15th: Mertz Album Release Riot

The hottest ticket in town this Saturday. From the man himself:

A lot of people have a “CD Release Party”. This will not be one of those. This will be an “Album Release Riot”. The reasons for this are simple: a lot of “artists” put out CDs that are just a collection of songs they have been working on. Mertz’s newest release, The Good in The Bad, is a cohesive album with a collective meaning throughout the entire project. Also, with a line up of some of the best Hip-Hop acts that Vermont has to offer, this show will no doubt exceed the level of any party you’ve been to & achieve full blown riot status. You won’t want to miss this. Come ready to riot! -- Mertz

November 21st: Bless the Child Album Release Party @ Arts Riot

Bless the Child are dropping their loooooooooooooooong-awaited debut album and throwing a proper party to celebrate the occasion. For a mere $5, you can enjoy the Arts Riot visual, food, and beer selection while witnessing a local lineup to remember: Question, Somewhere in the Solution, Face One, Learic and Wombaticus Rex will be opening up, and Set Up City will finish out the night with their usual rap band free for all extravaganza.

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